Of all the places I visited in France, my favorite might have been the tiny medieval village of Eguisheim.
Today, we focus on Saints Pierre-et-Paul Church. As is the case in many French villages in the Alsace, Saints Pierre-et-Paul towers over the town. Here, that makes it the perfect spot for storks to nest, as you can see from one of the photos.
But the most inspiring sight here was the vierge ouvrante, or Opening Virgin, a specific type of statue of Mary unique to France, Germany and Spain between the 13th and 16th centuries. As described by Aleteia, “during most of the year, they looked like ‘regular’ statuettes, made of wood and ivory. But on certain occasions, such as Marian or Trinitarian festivities, they would be opened, revealing a work of art within the work of art.”
At Saints Pierre-et-Paul, the Opening Virgin is a polychrome wood sculpture. It’s permanently half-opened revealing some of the art inside. I can’t quite explain why, but it’s easily one of the most mesmerizing pieces of religious artwork I’ve ever seen.
52 Masses 